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Buckingham beats Beckingham in the wedding stakes

Despite our current obsession with celebrity, it is the royal family who has provided us with the most memorable wedding of all time, with Charles and Diana topping a new poll carried out on behalf of Cancer Research UK*.

The survey was conducted to highlight how couples tying the knot this year can make an impact with their wedding, without a VIP guest list or magazine deal. Cancer Research UK’s Give in Celebration is an alternative wedding list, allowing people to fundraise for the charity in celebration of their marriage, either instead of or in addition to more traditional gifts.

The survey showed that Charles and Diana’s 1981 wedding, which was watched by a TV audience of more than 750 million worldwide, was the runaway winner.

The future King also claimed the number three spot with his wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles. At number two were the King and Queen of Celebrity, Posh and Becks, who made second place with their typically lavish wedding bash. Elton John’s distinctive and flamboyant style took his civil partnership with David Furnish to number four.

The poll, carried out to mark the start of this year’s wedding season, saw two of the most talked about couples of recent years, Peter Andre and Jordan and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, take fifth and sixth place respectively. Proving that a memorable wedding does not necessarily mean a long lasting one, Brad and Jen were in at seven, followed by the only fictional wedding in the line-up, that of Scott and Charlene in Neighbours. The top ten was completed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono at nine and Elvis and Priscilla Presley at ten.

Poppy Ahern, online manager at Cancer Research UK, said: "Over the years, there have been endless wonderful celebrity weddings, which have successfully grabbed the public’s attention at the time. Some of these are soon forgotten, but we were curious to find out which ones had a lasting impact."

"Give in Celebration gives people a way for their special day to make a real difference, without having to have a celebrity lifestyle."

Setting up an alternative list on Give in Celebration is quick and easy. You can personalise your web page by uploading your own photos, writing a personal message and using a selection of images and page colours to decorate it. You can also send out emails to friends and family inviting them to visit your page and make a donation.

The site can provide you with regular updates on who has donated and all donors will receive a ‘thank you’ email from Cancer Research UK, leaving you more time to organise the flowers, the hen party and of course the honeymoon.

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Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666) and the Isle of Man (1103). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: Angel Building, 407 St John Street, London EC1V 4AD.